Sedum plant named ‘Jade Tuffet’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Sedum  plant named ‘Jade Tuffet’ characterized by its very compact and mounded plant habit reaching about 38 cm in height, its foliage that is 70% smaller and narrower than is typical with similar sized  sedum  plants, its very heavy basal branching, its foliage that emerges in spring shiny green and turns reddish green during the summer months when grown under intense sun, its very large inflorescences of medium pink flowers that appear in late summer and completely surround the mound of foliage, its bright cherry red stems, and its very high resistance to foliage blight and powdery mildew.

Botanical classification: Sedum hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Jade Tuffet’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sedumplant, botanically of hybrid origin and known as Sedum ‘Jade Tuffet’referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Jade Tuffet’. The newcultivar of Sedum is a hardy herbaceous perennial grown for use as alandscape and container plant and is particularly suitable as agroundcover.

‘Jade Tuffet’ arose from an ongoing breeding program by the Inventor inHudsonville, Mich. The objective was to obtain new cultivars of Sedumswith a compact, tight, short, well mounded and non-flapping plant habit,shiny green foliage and be disease free throughout the entire growingseason requiring no fungicide sprays.

The new cultivar arose from a controlled cross made by hand-pollinatingindividual sedum flowers in August of 2010 between unnamed andunpatented plants from the Inventors breeding program as male and femaleparents. The Inventor selected ‘Jade Tuffet’ out of 900 seedlings as asingle unique plant in July of 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by tipstem cuttings in May of 2012 in Hudsonville, Mich. Propagation by tipstem cuttings and division has determined the characteristics to bestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘Jade Tuffet’ as a unique cultivar of Sedum.

-   -   1. ‘Jade Tuffet’ exhibits a very compact and mounded plant habit        reaching about 36 cm in height.    -   2. ‘Jade Tuffet’ exhibits foliage that is 70% smaller and        narrower than is typical with similar sized sedum plants.    -   3. ‘Jade Tuffet’ exhibits very heavy basal branching with over        30 basal branches produced per winter crown.    -   4. ‘Jade Tuffet’ exhibits foliage that emerges in spring shiny        green and turns reddish green during the summer months when        grown under intense sun.    -   5. ‘Jade Tuffet’ exhibits very large inflorescences of medium        pink flowers that appear in late summer and completely surround        the mound of foliage.    -   6. ‘Jade Tuffet’ exhibits bright cherry-red stems.    -   7. ‘Jade Tuffet’ exhibits very high resistance to foliage blight        and powdery mildew requiring no fungicide spraying.

The female parent differs from ‘Jade Tuffet’ in being shorter in height(15 cm), and in having leaves that are narrower, pale green, andglaucous, in having red stems, and flowers that are white in color. Themale parent differs from ‘Jade Tuffet’ in being much taller in height(60 cm), in having larger leaves, in having only 8 to 10 basal branchesper winter crown and in having shorter inflorescences that blooms onlythe top of the plant. ‘Jade Tuffet’ can be most closely compared toSedum ‘Pure Joy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,194) and ‘Soft Cloud’ (patentabandoned). Both are similar to ‘Jade Tuffet’ in having a compact andmounded plant habit and in having narrow foliage. Both differ from ‘JadeTuffet’ in having foliage that is glaucous and blue-green in color anddoes not turn reddish under full sun conditions, in having flowers thatare paler pink in color, and in being 20% shorter in height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Sedum.

The photograph in FIG. 1 was taken in August of a plant about 15 monthsin age as grown outdoors in a 1-gallon container in Hudsonville, Mich.and provides a side view of ‘Jade Tuffet’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 was taken in May of a plant about 15 months inage as grown outdoors in a 2-gallon container in Hudsonville, Mich. andprovides a view of the spring foliage (and summer foliage if grown inshade) of ‘Jade Tuffet’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 was taken in June of a plant about 9 months inage as grown in a trial garden in Hudsonville, Mich. and provides a viewof the summer foliage when grown in intense sunlight.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Sedum.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observedon 9 month-old plants of ‘Jade Tuffet’ as grown in the groundHudsonville, Mich. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary withvariations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as ithas not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. Thecolor determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except wheregeneral color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—6 weeks in mid to late summer.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Very compact, mounded, and well-branched,            suitable as a mid sized Sedum groundcover.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches an average of 36 cm in height and            46 cm in spread.        -   Hardiness.—At least hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9.        -   Diseases pest.—Highly resistant to sedum foliage blight            (caused by Septoria sedi) and powdery mildew (caused by            Erysiphe cichoracearum), no occurrence of either has been            observed to date.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, 199D in color.        -   Propagation.—Tip stem cuttings.        -   Root development.—Roots initiate in 15 days and 60 days are            required to produce a young plant in a 4 inch container.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.-   Stem description:    -   -   Stem shape.—Oval.        -   Stem size.—An average of 40 cm in length (including terminal            peduncle), and 7 mm in width with lateral branches an            average of 15 cm in length and 2 mm in width.        -   Internode length.—Average of 1.5 cm.        -   Stem color.—Spring; 138B heavily suffused with 184A,            mid-summer; a blend between N186C and 187A.        -   Stem surface.—Glabrous.        -   Branching habit.—Basal and lateral branching; about 15 to 18            branches per basal branch, about 30 basal branches are            produced per winter crown.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Whorled (sometime opposite).        -   Leaf base.—Truncate to cuneate.        -   Leaf apex.—Broadly acute-rounded.        -   Leaf venation.—Lower surface midrib; 144A to 144B suffused            with 184A, upper surface midrib and lateral veins upper and            lower surface; not conspicuous, color matched leaf color.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire and moderately serrulate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf orientation.—Nearly horizontal to slightly upward,            slightly cupped.        -   Leaf texture.—Thick, succulent.        -   Leaf surface.—Glandular and very slightly glaucous.        -   Leaf color.—Spring (and in summer when grown in shade) upper            and lower surface; 137A, summer when grown in intense            sunlight; blend between 137A and 139A and suffused with            N79A, when in bloom in late summer and fall upper and lower            surface; a blend between 137A and 139A and when suffused            with N79A grown in intense sun.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 2.6 cm in length and 1.3 cm in width.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Dense, slightly rounded cymes with an            average of 3 terminal forked branches at terminus and upper            lateral nodes, blooms are present on the top and sides of            the plant.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 2.5 cm in diameter and 1.2            cm in depth (inclusive of forked branches) per individual            cymes and up to 25 cm in length and 18 cm in width for the            compound cyme.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About one month.        -   Flower type.—Perfect, spreading, 5-starred.        -   Flower number.—An average of 20 flowers per branched cyme,            about 40 flowers per stem.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower buds.—Ovate in shape, about 4 mm length and 2 mm in            width, glabrous surface, a blend of 155C and 68A in color.        -   Flower size.—About 3 mm in depth and 6 mm in diameter.        -   Peduncles.—Round in shape, an average of 1.0 cm in length            and 0.9 mm in width, secondary average 4.5 mm in length and            0.5 mm in width, 138B suffused with 184A in color, glabrous            surface, peduncle leaves; an average of 3 per individual            cyme, oblanceolate in shape, an average of 6 mm length and 2            mm in width, a blend between 137A and 139A, glandular and            slightly glaucous on both surfaces.        -   Pedicels.—Round in shape, an average of 3 cm in length and            0.4 mm in width, 138B and lightly suffused with 184A in            color, glabrous surface.        -   Calyx.—5-parted fused to tubular base, tips held nearly            upright.        -   Sepals.—5, tube; about 1 mm in length and 2 mm in width,            138B in color, tips about 2 mm in length and 0.5 mm in            width, lanceolate in shape, 138B in color on both surfaces,            entire margin, narrowly acute apex, fused base, glaucous on            both surfaces.        -   Petals.—5, spreading, 4 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width,            lanceolate in shape, rounded base, acute apex, entire            margin, color of inner and outer surfaces when opening; 155C            and tinged with 68B, color when mature; N155D and suffused            with 50C to 50D, becoming dry and upright and 155A and very            lightly infused with 50D, glabrous on both surfaces.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistils.—5, showy, held erect, about 2.1 mm in length 1 mm            in width, stigma; 0.2 mm in width and 65D in color, style; 2            mm in length, 1 mm in width, ovate in shape and 65C in            color, ovary; small, single celled and translucent in color.        -   Stamens.—10, about 1.5 mm in length, filament; very fine,            67A in color and 65D at base, anther; basified, about 0.5 mm            in length and width, a blend of 202A and 8A in color, pollen            is moderate in quantity and about 8A in color.        -   Fruit.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed to            date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Sedum plant named ‘JadeTuffet’ as described and illustrated herein.